Two-piece arch-support for correcting metatarsal foot troubles



E. HEINTZE,

' TWO-PIECE ARCH SUPPORT FOR CORRECTING METATARSAL FOOT THOUBLES.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.4. 1920.

1,4Q1,254 Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

I/w/E/vrae UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDHUND HEINTZE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 SCHOLL MFG. A CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TWO-PIECE ARCH-SUPPORT FOR CORRECTING METATARSAL FOOT TROUBLES.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EnMt'No I-inmrzn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented-a certain new and useful Improvement in 'lWo-Piecc Airch-supports for Correcting Metatarsal Foot Troubles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices of the character that are used for correcting anterior metatarsal foot troubles.

The main object of my invention is to pro' vide a device having rigidportions that will firmly support the longitudinal arch of a personsfoot and maintain the metatarsal bones in proper balance, and which are combined in such a manner that the device as an entirety has sufficient flexibility to insure its being perfectly comfortable to the wearer.

To this end I have devised a device which is composed of two arch supports formed of metal or other suitable rigid material, one for the longitudinal arch and the other for the metatarsal arch, and means for maintaining said arch supports in proper position with relation to each other and at the same time permit said supports to move relatively to each other sufficiently to impart enough flexibility to the device to insure its being comfortable to the wearer.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a bottom plan view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge viewof the support for the metatarsal arch.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said metatarsal arch support.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the longitudinal arch support; and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of said longitudinal arch support.

ferring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the longitudinal arch support of my improved device, B designates the metatarsal arch support and C designates a member preferably formed of leather that carries the supports A and B and protects the wearers foot from direct contact with said su ports.

he supports A and B are rigid and may be formed of metal or any suitable material that has sufiicient strength and rigidity to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2'7, 1921.

Application flied November 4, 1920. Serial No. 421,679.

prevent said members from flexing or bending out of shape when the device is in use. The longitudinal arch support A is substantially arch-shaped in longitudinal section and the edge portions of same are preferably tapered so as to provide a feather edge at the periphery of said member.

In order that the member A will form a firm support for the inner side of the wearers foot, the outer edge portion of the member A is flared upwardly at 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, said flared portion commencing at points in proximity to the opposite ends of said member A and increasing gradually in height or depth toward the transverse center of said member. By constructing the member A. in this manner I obtain a support that will conform accurately to the shape of the wearers foot, due to the fact that the top face of said member A is convexed longitudinally and flared upwardly slightly at its outer edge. The general shape or outline of the member A may be varied slightly, but I prefer to make said member substantially oval in general form, broadened out slightly at its transverse center so as to ob tain a relatively broad bearing surface for the central portion of the longitudinal arch of the wearers foot, without liability of producing ridges on the inside of the shoe that will press against the heel and ball of the wearers foot. The outer edge portion of the member A, namely, the edge portion that is flared upwardly slightly at 1, is so shaped that it will conform approximately to the shape of that portion of the wearers shoe which lies above the shank of the sole, thus preventing the device from producing a bulge in the shoe that mars the appearance of the shoe.

The metatarsal arch support B is so shaped and is so arranged with relation to the longitudinal arch support A that it will raise the fourth and fifth metatarsal bones sufficiently to maintain the metatarsal bones in proper balance at all times. Preferably the metatarsal arch. support B is substantially L-shaped in general outline so as to provide a transversely-disposed portion 2 at the front end of same that is arranged slightly in advance of the front end of the longitudinal arch support A so as to support the metatarsal bones and a portion 3 that is arranged at one side of the front half of said longitudinal arch support A.

The top side of the metatarsal arch support B is convened, as shown in Fig. 8. The sup ports A and B are connected to the member C by rivets 4, or in any other suitable manner, and are spaced slightly away from each other, as shown in Fig. 1, so that said supports can move relatively to each other when the member C flexes. The member C- which carries the supports A and B thus acts as a hinge that joins'the rigid supports A and B and which imparts sufiicient flexibility to the device as an entirety to insure its being perfectly comfortable to the wearer.

I am aware of the fact that metal arch supports have heretofore been devised for supporting the longitudinal arch and also the metatarsal arch of a persons foot, but said prior devices consisted of a single rigid member provided with integrally connected. portions that are incapable of moving or flexing relatively to each other. My device is an improvement on such prior devices, in that it i composed of two separate rigid parts which can move or ii 2; slightly relatively to each other when the device is in use, and thus not interfere with the flexing or natural movement of the wearers foot.

I am also aware of the fact that arch supports have heretofore been devised consisting of an insole or similar element provided with a soft, yielding pad or cushion for engaging and supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot and a soft, yielding pad or cushion for engaging and supporting the transverse arch, but my improved arch support differs from prior arch supports of the kind just referred to, in. that it comprises a rigid or unyielding member for supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot and a rigid or unyielding member for supporting the transverse arch, said rigid supporting member being arranged on the underside of a flexible member in such a way that the device, as an entirety, has sufiicicut flexibility to insure its being perfectly comfortable to the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device for the purpose described, cousisting of a rigid longitudinal arch sup port, a separate and distinct rigid metatarsal arch support having a transversely-disposed portion arranged in advance of said longitudinal arch support, and a portion arranged at one side of said longitudinal arch support, and a piece of leather or other suitable material that carries said arch support and prevents them from coming in direct contact with the wearers foot.

EDMTU ND HEINTZE. 

